Various types of ceiling systems are used in commercial and residential building construction to provide a desired acoustical performance and appearance. One type of common ceiling system is a suspended acoustical tile ceiling, which typically comprises some sort of a panel or grid structure suspended from the overhead structural ceiling of the room.
Traditionally, suspended ceilings grids are held by hanger wires attached to an overhead support structure. The hanger wires are threaded through an exposed tee grid on the acoustical lay-in ceiling panel and then each of the wires is tied to itself. These hanger wire systems as disclosed in the prior art have several known drawbacks, however. While existing hanger wires can support ceiling grids and ceiling panels, these wires are inconvenient to connect and tie, thus making it laborious to install acoustic ceilings. Additionally, untying and re-tying wires can damage the wires over time. Damaged wires are unlawful in many jurisdictions as they could lead to unsafe conditions. In this regard, the invention described herein addresses this problem.